Electroplating aid board and electroplating device using same

ABSTRACT

An electroplating device includes a plating solution, at least one anode basket located in the plating solution, and a workpiece to be plated. An electroplating aid board is arranged between the anode basket and the workpiece to be plated. The electroplating aid board has at least one side that has a length exceeding the workpiece to be plated. The electroplating aid board is made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive and includes a plurality of holes formed therein. In an electroplating operation, the holes provide an effect of tunnel that guides positive ions (such as copper ions) of the plating solution to flow from the anode basket (namely anode) straightforward to the nearest surface portion of the workpiece to be plated.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an electroplating aid board and an electroplating device using the electroplating aid board, wherein the electroplating aid board is arrange between anode and cathode of the electroplating device and comprises a plurality of holes so that an electroplated product can be manufactured with excellent and homogeneous thickness of plated layers without using a conventionally used shielding plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

For electroplating devices that are commonly used in the electroplating industry, such as vertical continuous electroplating machine, the primary requirement for an electroplating operation, such as plating copper on a circuit board, is to provide homogenous and excellent thickness of plated layers on the electroplated product.

The traditional electroplating operation uses a copper-made anode. The copper-made anode, however, will get increasingly thinner. A late developed anode comprises an iridium alloy made anode screen (which is an insoluble anode), which is characterized by large current flow for fast plating.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, schematic views are given to illustrate a copper plating operation carried out with a conventional electroplating device, which comprises a plating solution 90, two anode baskets 91 (serving as anode of electroplating operation) located in the plating solution 90 and a workpiece 92 to be plated (serving as a cathode of the electroplating operation and the workpiece to be plated 92 being a circuit board in the instant embodiment), wherein the workpiece 92 to be plated is clamped by a clip 93. A drive device is provided to drive the workpiece 92 to be plated to move between the anode baskets 91.

Since there may be a large number of workpieces 92 that are to be plated, these workpieces 92 are generally of different sizes, so that the anode baskets 91 (anode) may be greater in size than the workpiece 92 to be plated (cathode) and thus the anode baskets 91 (anode) and the workpiece 92 to be plated (cathode) do not match each other. Consequently, a central portion of the workpiece 92 to be plated (cathode), which is not affected by the size of the anode baskets 91 (anode), may have a normal plated layer (the thick black line segments on the workpiece 92 of FIG. 5 indicating the plated layers), while three side edges of the workpiece 92 that are located in the plating solution 90 may be provided with excessive supply of positive ions (such as copper ions indicated by arrows in the drawing) due to the anode baskets 91 (anode) being greater in size than the workpiece 92 (cathode). The excessive positive ions are attached to the three side edges, making a plated layer 921 formed in the three edges having a thickness greater than that of the central area. Consequently, such an electroplating device cannot provide homogeneous and excellent plating thickness for electroplated products.

Referring to FIG. 7, to overcome such a shortcoming of non-homogeneous thickness of plated layers formed on an electroplated product, a solution commonly adopted in the industry is setting up a V-shaped shielding plate 94 adjacent to a workpiece 92 to be plated. The V-shaped shielding plate 94 functions to block excessive positive ions (such as copper ions, arrows shown in the drawings indicating the positive ions) so as to prevent the occurrence of non-homogeneous thickness of plated layers on the workpiece 92 to be plated (the thick black line segments shown on surfaces of the workpiece 92 to be plated of FIG. 7 indicating the plated layers).

The arrangement of V-shaped shielding plate 94 effectively prevents the occurrence of non-homogeneous thickness of plated layers on the workpiece 92 to be plated. However, the V-shaped shielding plate 94 must be properly moved up and down to correspond to peripheral sites of the workpiece 92 to be plated. To move the V-shaped shielding plate 94 up and down, a driving mechanism and associated controller must be additionally provided. This makes the components of the electroplating facility complicated and numerous. Further, errors may occur in the up and down movement of the V-shaped shielding plate 94.

So far, in the electroplating industry, a perfect electroplating device that provides an excellent electroplated product having a homogeneous thickness of plated layers is yet available.

Thus, the present invention aims to provide a solution to overcome such problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electroplating aid board that is applicable to electroplating facility to make electroplated product having excellent plated layers of homogeneous thickness.

To achieve the object, the present invention provides an electroplating aid board, which is made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive and comprises a plurality of holes formed therein. The holes function to guide positive ions contained in the plating solution in such a way that excessive positive ions induced by the portion of an anode basket (which is the anode) that exceeds a workpiece to be plated are prohibited from moving obliquely into these holes and thus cannot reach the workpiece to be plated, thereby achieving an effect of shielding to prevent inhomogeneous thickness of plated layers on the workpiece.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electroplating device that makes an electroplated product having excellent plated layers of homogeneous thickness.

To achieve the object, the present invention provides an electroplating device that comprises a plating solution, at least one anode basket, and a workpiece to be plated, wherein the anode baskets are located in the plating solution and are connected to an anode of a power supply. The workpiece to be plated is placed in the plating solution and connected to a cathode of the power supply. The invention is characterized in that an electroplating aid board is arranged between the anode basket and the workpiece to be plated. The electroplating aid board has at least one side that has a length exceeds the workpiece to be plated. The electroplating aid board is made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive and comprises a plurality of holes formed therein, whereby in an electroplating operation, with an effect of tunnel provided by the holes, positive ions of the plating solution are guided to flow from the anode baskets (namely anode) straightforward to the nearest surface portion of the workpiece to be plated and also guide the positive ions to move straightforward to fully occupy the corresponding holes. Further, for those anode baskets (namely anode) that are located at portions exceeding the workpiece to be plated, the positive ions generated thereby are not allowed to move obliquely into the holes and cannot reach the workpiece to be plated, whereby an effect of shielding is realized to prevent inhomogeneous thickness of plated layers formed on the workpiece to be plated without applying the conventionally used shielding board.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electroplating aid board according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an electroplating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a plating tank of the electroplating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an electroplating operation carried out by the electroplating device according to the present invention to provide a homogeneous thickness of a plated layer for a workpiece to be plated.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a conventional electroplating device carrying out a copper plating operation.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the conventional electroplating device that manufactures a workpiece having inhomogeneous thickness of plated layer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a conventional electroplating device that includes a V-shaped shielding plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention provides an electroplating aid board 10, which is applicable to electroplating facility, is made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive, and comprises a plurality of holes 11 formed therein. The holes 11 function to guide the movement of the positive ions (such as copper ions) contained in a plating solution.

The holes 11 are arranged in multiple rows and the holes 11 are arranged alternating with respect to each other.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the present invention also provides an electroplating device 1, which may be a vertical continuous electroplating machine capable of operations of plating copper on a circuit board. The electroplating device 1 comprises a chassis 20. The chassis 20 comprises a plating tank 30 that receives and contains therein a plating solution 31; a plurality of anode baskets 40 that are placed in the plating solution 31 and arranged in two rows to receive and contain therein a plating material, such as a copper sphere, and are electrically connected to an anode of an electroplating power supply. A workpiece 50 to be plated, such as a circuit board, is placed in the plating solution 31 and is connected to a cathode of the electroplating power supply. The workpiece 50 to be plated is clamped by a clip 60 and the clip 60 is moved by a drive device 70 mounted to the chassis 20, whereby the workpiece 50 to be plated is positionable in the space between the two rows of anode baskets 40 and is movable.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the electroplating device 1 according to the present invention is generally characterized in that electroplating boards 10 are arranged between the anode baskets 40 and the workpiece 50 to be plated. The electroplating aid boards 10 can be secured to fasteners 81 of spray tubes 80. Further, the electroplating aid boards 10 have at least one side having a length exceeding the workpiece 50 to be plated. In the instant embodiment, the electroplating aid boards 10 have lower sides that exceed the workpiece 50 to be plated. In an electroplating operation, when the workpiece 50 to be plated is driven by the drive device 70 to move into the space between the two rows of anode baskets 40, the electroplating aid boards 10 of the present invention provide an effect of tunnel with the holes thereof to guide the positive ions of the plating solution 31 (such as copper ions indicated by arrows in FIG. 4) to move straightforward from each of the anode baskets 40 toward the nearest surface portion of the workpiece 50 to be plated (the thick black line segments on the surfaces of the workpiece 50 to be plated of FIG. 4 indicating plated layers) and also guide the positive ions to move straightforward to fully occupy the corresponding holes 11. Further, for those anode baskets 40 that are located at portions exceeding the workpiece 50 to be plated (see the portion below the phantom line of FIG. 4), the positive ions generated thereby are not allowed to move obliquely into the holes 11 and cannot reach the workpiece 50 to be plated, whereby an effect of shielding is realized. As such, the problem of non-homogenous thickness of a plated layer formed on the workpiece 50 to be plated is avoided.

Practical tests and experiments show that the electroplating aid board 10 of the present invention is preferably of a thickness of 6-10 mm. The holes 11 of the electroplating aid board 10 according to the present invention are preferably of a hole diameter of 2-5 mm. Distance between the holes 11 formed in the electroplating aid board 10 of the present invention is preferably 0.3-0.5 mm. It is preferred that the number of holes 11 formed in a unit area of the electroplating aid board 10 is as many as possible.

The arrows shown in FIG. 2 indicate the flow of the plating solution 31 that enters and is sprayed from the spray tube 80 so that the plating solution 31 is cyclically circulated for further circulation with fresh solution.

In summary, through using the electroplating aid board and the electroplating device according to the present invention, an electroplated product may be manufactured with excellent plated layers that have homogeneous thickness without using the conventionally used shielding plate.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. An electroplating aid board, which is adapted to be used in electroplating facility, is made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive, and comprises a plurality of holes formed therein, the holes guiding positive ions contained in a plating solution.
 2. The electroplating aid board according to claim 1, wherein the holes are arranged in rows and the holes are set to alternate each other.
 3. An electroplating device, comprising: a plating solution; at least one anode basket, which is located in the plating solution and is connected to an anode of a power supply; and a workpiece to be plated, which is placed in the plating solution and is connected to a cathode of the power supply; and characterized in that an electroplating aid board is arranged between the anode basket and the workpiece to be plated, the electroplating aid board having at least one side that has a length exceeding the workpiece to be plated, the electroplating aid board being made of a plastic material that is not electrically conductive and comprising a plurality of holes formed therein.
 4. The electroplating device according to claim 3, wherein the holes are arranged in rows and the holes are set to alternate each other.
 5. The electroplating device according to claim 3, wherein the electroplating aid board is secured to a fastener provided on a spray tube. 